Friday Barnes one shots

Paintings

Started reading the second FB book for the first time in almost a year and was smacked by a bunch of random little stories I made up in class so here's my favourite, set in book 5 when Friday discovered she could paint.

Bear with me because I hardly remember anything.
:D
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Ian was sitting on the grass under his favourite tree. He was supposed to be studying for a science test he had on Monday, but it was Sunday afternoon, and no studying had been done.

Instead, he was staring at the slightly opened door of the art room. The art room was really just a large shed that the school had put lights in and several desks and easels were scattered about.

He was staring at it, because Friday had slipped in a half hour ago. He had tried to go back to studying after seeing her but continuously caught himself staring at the door.

Eventually, he stood up, abandoning his homework and walking quietly over to the slightly ajar door.

He pushed it open a bit more as quietly as possible and peaked in.

The room was completely empty except for a small brown haired girl sitting at an easel with her back to the door.

Friday was painting on a small canvas and her body blocked what the picture was of.

Next to her, leaning up against a small bucket was a canvas the same size with a portrait of Melanie.

Friday had done a very good job. She had captured Melanie's brown skin and dark curls. Melanie's eyes were closed, and the painting looked like it had been made from memory.

Then he remembered. Friday had a photographic memory.

He felt a pang of guilt. Friday was still not talking to him. She was barely acknowledging his existence anymore. He supposed he deserved it, for blaming everything on her, but he hadn't known what else to do.

He shook off the feeling, wanting to see what she was painting now.

As if his thoughts had been cast out into the universe and received, Friday stood up to go get something and Ian stared at the canvas.

It was only half done, but he knew exactly who it was. His jaw slacked and he didn't realise the brick that had been holding the door open and slid out of the way when he had pushed it open more, and the door slammed shut on his fingers.

He bit down on his lip, gripping his fingers as hard as he could as if it was going to help stop the pain.

The door was pulled open, and Friday looked at him with a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

'What are you doing Ian?'

Ian still couldn't comprehend anything around her painting.

He could see it again now that she had pulled open the door.

'T-that's me' he said, staring at it.

He saw Friday go pink with embarrassment but she covered it with annoyance.

'Yeah. Don't take it personally, I'm painting everyone I know. I've got Mirabella over there somewhere.'

She went to let the door close as she walked back towards the box of paint tubes and Ian pushed the door open and stepped in.

In the painting, he was smiling, a real smile and not one of his fake ones. And it looked familiar, felt familiar.

Then he realised, that was the smile he had when he saw Friday slide down the stair banister a few weeks ago. Mirabella had screamed as Friday had slid past and Ian had beamed.

Friday had shortly been called to the Headmasters office because of that.

He hadn't realised she had seen him smile, he hadn't realised she had seen him at all.

'Why did you paint this?'

Friday pulled out a tube of light blue paint and turned around. 'What kind of a question is that?' She asked, her tone sharp.

'I just- I thought I'd be the last person you'd want to paint.' He said, taking his gaze from the canvas and setting them on her.

'You are the last person I want to paint. But you're also very paintable, and I ran out of the colour I needed to finish Melanie.' She said, tossing a tube of yellow paint into the paint bin.

'It's really good' he said, unsure of what else to say.

'Thanks.'

There was a moment of awkward silence and Ian decided to lighten the mood.

'I knew you always had a secret thing for me, Barnes. Knew you couldn't get enough of me'

Friday put the paint tube down. 'Ok, you can leave now' she said her tone annoyed but her face perking up slightly.

She practically pushed him out of the art room, and before the door slammed shut, he saw her smile slightly as she turned away.